Investigation of gamma-ray attenuation coefficients for some different tissues

Abstract

In this study, the half-value thicknesses, linear and mass attenuation coefficientsof biological samples such as adipose tissue, bone, cardiac muscle, liver,lung, muscleskeletal and soft tissue have been measured at 97, 243.79,344.89, 662, 778.43, 866.27, 962.31, 1112.87, 1173, 1333 and 1407.52 keV energies by using the NaI(Tl) spectrometer. The gamma-rays were obtained from 152Eu, 137Cs and 60Cosources. Also theoretical calculations have been performed in order to obtainthe half-value thicknesses, mass and linear attenuation coefficients, and thetenth-value thicknesses at photon energies 0.001 MeV–10 GeV for the some tissues.The experimentallinear mass attenuation coefficients, half value layer for tissue componentswere compared with theoretical values obtained using WinXCOM. The half-valuethicknesses, mass and linear attenuation coefficients, and the tenth-valuethicknesses oftissue compounds have been computed in the wide energy region 1 keV to 10 GeVusing an accurate database of photon-interaction cross sections and the WinXComprogram. The linear attenuation coefficient for bone is higher than the tissues of cardiac muscle, liver, lung, skeletal muscle and softtissue.HVL, TVL and mean free path are lower for bonethanthe tissues of cardiac muscle, liver, lung,skeletal muscle and soft tissue. The studied gammadosimetric values for the relaxants are useful in medical physics and radiationmedicine. Result shows that attenuation and required thickness toachieve certain attenuation power are highly photon energy dependent.